Viral video shows Nigerian singer Portable smoking as police officers escort him, sparking fresh debate over his long and turbulent history with Nigerian law enforcement
A fresh wave of reactions swept across Nigerian social media this week after a video emerged showing Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, the 32-year-old Nigerian street-hop singer widely known as Portable, casually smoking a cigarette while being escorted by police officers.
The footage, shared on the platform X and rapidly amplified across WhatsApp and Instagram, captured the Zazu crooner appearing entirely unbothered as uniformed officers walked alongside him, triggering a storm of commentary from fans, critics, and observers alike.
Okikiola, born on 12 March 1994 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, rose to mainstream attention through his breakout single “ZaZoo Zehh,” which featured heavyweights Olamide and Poco Lee, and has since cultivated a persona defined as much by controversy as by musical talent.
The latest clip adds yet another vivid chapter to what has become a remarkably eventful public life.
In the video, the singer is seen walking at a measured pace, a lit cigarette held between his fingers, his demeanour unhurried and remarkably composed as officers flanked him on either side.
Whether the escort was precautionary, investigative, or simply coincidental has not been officially confirmed by any police command as of the time of publication. No statement had been issued by the Nigeria Police Force clarifying the context of the footage.
Those who know Portable’s turbulent history with law enforcement will find the imagery striking, if not altogether surprising.
As recently as January 2026, the singer was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Ota, Ogun State, on a nine-count criminal charge that included assault, theft, causing bodily harm, and resisting arrest, following an altercation at his bar in the Iyana Ilogbo area of Ogun State on New Year’s Day.
An Ogun State High Court sitting in Ota subsequently denied him bail, citing the absence of a police officer allegedly assaulted during the incident, and the singer was remanded in custody.
That episode itself followed a deeply concerning sequence.
A viral video from January 2026 had shown the Zazu crooner in handcuffs, shirtless, and tearfully pleading while seated on a couch in what appeared to be a police holding area, with reports suggesting he had been struck by some personnel.
The Ogun State Police Command swiftly commenced an investigation, and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed that Portable was in custody while strongly condemning any form of assault on suspects.
“Yes, he was arrested and he is with us, but that is a different issue. What is important is the alleged assault at the station, which we do not condone,” Babaseyi stated.
The singer’s encounters with law enforcement stretch back considerably further.
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State sentenced Okikiola to three months’ imprisonment for assault in April 2025, with an option of a N30,000 fine, related to an incident dating back to November 2022.
In February 2025, he was declared wanted by the Ogun State Police Command before eventually surrendering himself to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Through it all, Portable has remained publicly vocal.
Speaking as recently as June 2026 in response to comments by British-Nigerian rapper Skepta, who urged celebrities to use their platforms to speak against injustice, Portable argued that entertainers based in Nigeria face significant risks for speaking out.
“Skepta is saying celebrities should speak. Did he want the Nigerian government to pick us? They will arrest us if we speak up. We only need help,” the singer said.
That defiant, freewheeling spirit appears to be precisely what the smoking video has captured.
For many viewers, the image of a man with such a layered and contentious history with Nigerian police appearing utterly relaxed in their company was provocative enough to demand a reaction.
Whether one reads it as audacity, theatre, or simply the behaviour of a man who has grown accustomed to the company of uniformed officers, it has, once again, placed Habeeb Okikiola Badmus squarely at the centre of national conversation.
The Nigeria Police Force had not responded to requests for comment on the nature of the escort at the time of publication.
@freelanews The moment Portable’s masquerade appears at Fijabi’s naming ceremony #creatorsearchinsights #fyp ♬ original sound – Freelanews
Morenikeji Adedayo is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
